CVE-2025-66147 is a vulnerability identified in the merkulove Coder for Elementor plugin, a tool used within WordPress environments to facilitate custom coding and design elements. The core issue is a missing authorization control, meaning the plugin fails to properly verify whether a user has the necessary permissions before allowing access to certain functionalities. This misconfiguration allows users with limited privileges (authenticated but low-level users) to perform actions or access data that should be restricted. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.0.13. The CVSS 3.1 vector indicates the attack can be performed remotely over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N). The scope remains unchanged (S:U), and the impact affects confidentiality and integrity to a limited degree (C:L, I:L), with no availability impact (A:N). This means attackers could potentially read or modify data they should not have access to but cannot disrupt service availability. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability poses a risk especially in multi-user WordPress environments where lower-privileged users exist. The lack of authorization checks could lead to privilege escalation or unauthorized content manipulation, undermining the integrity and confidentiality of the affected systems. The vulnerability was published on December 16, 2025, and no patches or fixes have been linked yet, indicating the need for vigilance and interim mitigation strategies.

For European organizations, the vulnerability presents a moderate risk primarily to the confidentiality and integrity of web content managed via WordPress sites using the merkulove Coder for Elementor plugin. Attackers with low-level access could exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or alter website content, potentially damaging brand reputation or leaking confidential data. This is particularly concerning for organizations with multi-user environments such as agencies, media companies, and e-commerce platforms that rely on WordPress customization. While availability is not impacted, unauthorized content changes could lead to misinformation or compliance violations under GDPR if personal data is exposed or manipulated. The risk is heightened in sectors with strict data protection requirements, including finance, healthcare, and government services. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate the risk of future attacks, especially as exploit code could be developed given the low complexity of the vulnerability.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Immediately audit user roles and permissions within WordPress to ensure that only trusted users have access to the merkulove Coder for Elementor plugin features. 2) Restrict plugin access to administrators or trusted roles only, removing or limiting access for contributors or editors. 3) Monitor logs for unusual access patterns or unauthorized attempts to use plugin functionalities. 4) Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the plugin endpoints. 5) Isolate critical WordPress instances or sensitive sites from general user access where possible. 6) Stay alert for official patches or updates from merkulove and apply them promptly once available. 7) Consider temporary disabling the plugin if it is not essential until a fix is released. 8) Conduct regular security assessments and penetration tests focusing on access control mechanisms within WordPress environments. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on role hardening, monitoring, and proactive isolation tailored to this specific plugin vulnerability.